Italy achieved what was amounting to a rare naval victory when it attacked two Royal Navy battleships at Alexandria, Egypt, and disabled them, using three manned torpedoes, dispatched from a submarine. The HMS Valiant and HMS Queen Elizabeth were badly damaged in the bold attack, and the HMS Jervis, a destroyer, was as well.
Because of the way the HMS Queen Elizabeth settled, it had the illusion of remaining afloat, something that was maintained until she could be dry docked and repaired.
The Valiant was a sister ship, both being of the Queen Elizabeth Class. She'd be reassigned to the Pacific later in the war. Both British battleships would return to action, but it would take more or less a year to accomplish.
All the Italian frogmen survived and were made Prisoners of War.
On the same day, the British HMS Neptune was sunk by mines off of Tripoli. The HMS Aurora and HMS Penelope were damaged. The following day, the HMS Kandahar was hit and had to be scuttled.
The bold and unconventional Italian attack, and the successful minefield laying, reversed the naval balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean in favor of the Axis.
It also somewhat cuts into the myth that there were no naval surface actions during the war. In fact, there were a lot of them, and at this stage of the war the naval battle in the Mediterranean remained a heavily surface campaign.
Walter von Brauchitsch was relieved as Commander in Chief of the Germany Army. Hitler replaced him with Hitler, a tipping point in the war for a variety of reasons. With this, the German Army's bargain in which it supported the rise of the Nazis in exchange for Nazi support for the Army was essentially betrayed and shown to be worthless, as the Nazi co-opting of the Army was effectively complete.
Moreover, it showed an increasing strain in the German war effort as the dawn of realization that not only had Operation Barbarossa failed started, but it was obvious that the Soviets were not only not defeated, but they were beginning to reverse German fortunes for the first time in the war. The obvious fear that Germany had overstretched herself and now the decline would become general was developing.
Von Brauchitsch was effectively retired by the act and never received another command. He was imprisoned after the war on war crimes but died in a British military prison before he could be tried.
Hitler, who was already Commander in Chief of the Wehrmacht, would remain CiC of the Heer for the rest of the war.
The Indian 4th Division took Derna, Libya, where the Germans were also experiencing setbacks. It was a victory, but the Germans had pulled out before they could be trapped and defeated there.
The Japanese invaded Davoa, in the Philippines.
Sgt Maj. John Osborn of the Winnipeg Grenadiers won a posthumous Victory Cross for falling on a Japanese hand grenade at the battle for Hong Kong, making him the first Canadian soldier to receive that award during World War Two.
His citation read:
At Hong Kong on the morning of 19th December 1941 a Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers to which Company Sergeant-Major Osborn belonged became divided during an attack on Mount Butler, a hill rising steeply above sea level. A part of the Company led by Company Sergeant-Major Osborn captured the hill at the point of the bayonet and held it for three hours when, owing to the superior numbers of the enemy and to fire from an unprotected flank, the position became untenable. Company Sergeant-Major Osborn and a small group covered the withdrawal and when their turn came to fall back, Osborn single-handed engaged the enemy while the remainder successfully rejoined the Company. Company Sergeant-Major Osborn had to run the gauntlet of heavy rifle and machine gun fire. With no consideration for his own safety he assisted and directed stragglers to the new Company position exposing himself to heavy enemy fire to cover their retirement. Whenever danger threatened he was there to encourage his men.
During the afternoon the Company was cut off from the Battalion and completely surrounded by the enemy who were able to approach to within grenade throwing distance of the slight depression which the Company was holding. Several enemy grenades were thrown which Company Sergeant-Major Osborn picked up and threw back. The enemy threw a grenade which landed in a position where it was impossible to pick it up and return it in time. Shouting a warning to his comrades this gallant Warrant Officer threw himself on the grenade which exploded killing him instantly. His self-sacrifice undoubtedly saved the lives of many others.
Company Sergeant-Major Osborn was an inspiring example to all throughout the defence which he assisted so magnificently in maintaining against an overwhelming enemy force for over eight and a half hours and in his death he displayed the highest quality of heroism and self-sacrifice.
Osborn was born in England, reflecting a Canada in which the English speaking population still had strong connections to the United Kingdom and in fact a fair number were English born. He'd served in the Royal Navy during World War One.
The United States started the Office of Censorship.
It censored communications during the war coming into and out of the country.
The National Defense Garden Conference commenced to encourage growing your own.
Both of these last two items are from here:
Today in World War II History—December 19, 1941
Also on that site, you can read about Victory Gardens as well, here:
Victory Gardens in World War II
The endless series of nearly meaningless declarations of war continued, with Nicaragua declaring war on Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.
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